P.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 4-9-14

by wcdonews Posted on April 9, 2014

57-year-old Robert Gerbino of Garden City, New York was arrested by State Police for Criminally Negligent Homicide, based on a sealed indictment handed down by the Otsego County Grand Jury.   The Grand Jury determined that on November 16th Gerbino with criminal negligence caused the death of Charles Bruce of Franklin Square.   The men were part of a Hunting group in the Town of Westford.

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The Chenango County Sheriff’s Office executed a “no knock” search warrant at a residence in the Village of Sherburne and a vehicle parked at the Big M in Sherburne.  The Narcotics Division arrested 31-year-old Dustin Norris of Sherburne, who was found to be in possession of a substantial amount of heroin & cash. The recovered heroin was found in close to proximity to two young children in the vehicle. Several needles, packaging material, and paraphernalia were also located at his residence.  Norris was charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, Criminally Using Drug Paraphernalia, and Endangering the Welfare of a Child. He was arraigned in the Village of Sherburne Court and remanded to the Chenango County Correctional Facility on $50,000 cash bail.  The investigation is ongoing and more arrests are pending.

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This year’s state budget addressed the problem of the Gap elimination adjustments that hurt poor rural schools over the last 5 years, and added much needed funding.  Area assemblyman Cliff crouch said that area superintendents were pleased:

 

(Crouch 4-9-10)

 

The Budget includes a $1.1 billion increase in education aid for the 2014-15 school year, with High-needs school districts receiving nearly 70% percent of the allocated increase.

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U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced $1.7 million in federal funds, to acquire and demolish flood-damaged structures in the Village of Sidney, and turn the properties into green space. The damaged buildings are located in a flood-hazard zone in the River Street area; County officials prefer to demolish the structures. The federal funds cover 75 percent of the projected cost to acquire and demolish the flood-prone properties.  All of the structures were damaged from Tropical Storms Irene and Lee in 2011.

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State officials say New York hunters killed 1,358 black bears during the 2013 hunting season, the second-highest number on record.  Figures released by the DEC show hunters killed a record 636 bears from the Southeastern hunting area and a near record 342 from the Central-Western area. The agency said the high numbers reflect a growing bear population. The DEC released a draft bear management plan for public comment in January. It proposed several changes, including expanding the area open to bear hunting to encompass all of upstate New York.  Go to dec.ny.gov

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State environmental regulators remind New Yorkers that residential brush burning is prohibited in towns, with less than 20,000 residents until May 14th, because of increased risk of fires during spring months. The DEC said wildfires can start and spread due to open burning of debris and dried out foliage. The open burning of debris is the largest cause of wildfire in the state. People who violate the regulation are subject to both criminal and civil law enforcement, with a minimum fine of $500 for the first offense. To report environmental law violations call 1-800-TIPP DEC

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Governor Cuomo launched the Immigrant Entrepreneurship Training Series. The program will help immigrants start and grow businesses. More than 100 immigrant entrepreneurship seminars will be held throughout New York State in the coming year.  The State Office will run the training Series for New Americans, Empire State Development and the State Small Business Development Center.  The first round of the trainings begins this month and requires pre-registration. Seminar dates will be posted on the New York State Office for New Americans website at newamericans.ny.gov

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A.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 4-9-14

by wcdonews Posted on April 9, 2014

State Troopers arrested 21 year old James Canfield of Mount Vision for Criminal Mischief & Criminal Trespass, after receiving a complaint on Chestnut Street in Oneonta.  Troopers accuse Canfield of forcing entry into the residence without permission.  Troopers also arrested the person reporting the crime, 24 year old Daniel Pizzurro for False Written Statement, he faces court action on April 22nd .

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The Greater Oneonta Economic Development Council in cooperation with Citizens’ Voices has scheduled a program for local municipal leaders on Tuesday, May 6th from 1:00 to 3:00 PM at the Foothill’s Performing Arts Center in Oneonta. The staff from the New York Department of State’s Division of Local Government Services will   discuss opportunities to leverage regional assets, generate cost savings and increase service delivery efficiences through shared services and consolidation.

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The New York State Fair box office and online outlet will be open Saturday morning to sell tickets to the Tuesday, August 26th concert by “Train” at the Grandstand. The Wallflowers will open for Train; Tickets go on sale for that show at 9:00 AM at the State Fair box office, or through etix.com. Tickets can also be purchased by phone, at 1 (800) 514-3849, option 1.

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The 2011 Flood Relief Grant Program has expanded its focus in an effort to create an incentive for new small businesses to locate into a flood-impacted main street commercial space, in addition to assisting businesses directly impacted by the floods of 2011. The program has just over $65,000 remaining available, after providing $120,000 in grants to 11 businesses for recovery efforts. Applications under either facet of the program are due by April 25th,  Applications & Information is available at 746-8595.

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Democratic congressional candidate Sean Eldridge has collected enough signatures to make it on the ballot in November, in the race for the 19th congressional district.  Eldridge is seeking the Democratic Party Nomination in order to  challenge 2-term Republican Chris Gibson in the 19th District.

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P.M. NEWS TUESDAY 4-8-14

by wcdonews Posted on April 8, 2014

Oneonta Police Department arrested 3 people on a variety of drug charges.  Arrested were 24-Year-old Adam Scully of Oneonta ,  22-year-old Ray Arnold of Oneonta for criminal possession of a controlled substance, Police confiscated 11 bags of heroin, also arrested was 25-year-old Cody Clapper of Oneonta, for conspiracy, criminal possession of a controlled substance and possession of a hypodermic instrument.  Scully, Arnold and Clapper were arraigned in the City of Oneonta Court and sent to the Otsego County Correctional Facility pending a future court action.

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Governor Cuomo, state leaders & Industry & Tourism leaders held the 2nd Wine, Beer, Spirits and Cider Summit in Albany today.  The governor said that their efforts are paying off with an increase in jobs across the entire industry:

 

(Cuomo 4-8-14)

 

The Governor said that the 60 million dollars spent in tourism advertising has led to an increase in revenues for the tourism & Agriculture industries by over 4 billion dollars.

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The Catskill Watershed Corporation has extended eligibility guidelines for its Septic Rehabilitation and Replacement Program.  Homeowners within the New York City Watershed in Delaware, Greene, Schoharie, Sullivan or Ulster Counties may be eligible for assistance if their property is within 300 feet of a watercourse, and if their homes were built prior to November 2, 1995.  The program pays 100% of the cost of replacing failed septic systems for permanent residences; 60% for non-primary residences.  Homeowners  who may be eligible for this program, should call  845-586-1400 to arrange for a CWC staff visit.

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New York State of Health reported that Over 1.2 million New Yorkers have completed their applications and over 908,000 have enrolled for coverage since the launch of the Marketplace last October 1st.   More than 70% of those who have enrolled to date were uninsured at the time of application. New York State of Health will continue to provide additional assistance to individuals who began the application process by March 31. All applications and enrollments must be completed by the end of the day on April 15th.

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On April 3rd Delaware County Deputies participated in Operation Safe Stop to combat the illegal passing of stopped school buses.   Deputies shadowed school buses during their morning and afternoon bus routes in the Downsville, Deposit, Delhi, Franklin and Stamford Central School Districts.  During the Operation deputies issued 1 traffic summons to an individual that passed a Franklin School District Bus that was stopped with flashing red lights.  Statistics show that increased awareness of school bus traffic laws has brought the umber of potentially deadly incidents way down since Operation Safe Stop began.

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The prospects are not good for passage of a medical marijuana bill in the Legislature this year according to Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver Silver said there has been “no interest” from the Senate in bringing up the issue for a vote. The Assembly’s Democratic majority included a medical-marijuana plan in its one-house budget resolution, but the issue never gained traction in closed-door budget negotiations.  In his State of the State address in January, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said his administration will authorize medical marijuana on a limited basis, allowing up to 20 hospitals statewide to prescribe it to terminally ill patients.

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A.M. NEWS TUESDAY 4-8-14

by wcdonews Posted on April 8, 2014

Jennifer Morris of East Branch Was sentenced to 1 to 3 years in jail, after pleading guilty recently to falsely reporting an incident and for violating probation.  Morris was arrested for making threats against the Walton central school district on Facebook will spend time in jail after violating probation by using social media on a cellphone.

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State Police at Norwich arrested 35-year-old Jacqueline Kane of West Babylon for Driving While Ability Impaired by Drugs.  The arrest followed a stop on State Route 12 in Norwich, Kane refused to submit to a blood test, she was arraigned & was remanded to the Chenango County Jail on $1,000 cash bail or $2,500 bond, pending court action on April 17th.

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Governor Cuomo’s Wine, Beer, Spirits and Cider Summit will be held today at the Egg Center in Albany. Last year’s event led to several new pieces of legislation to help the industry expand, The event will be webcast at www.governor.ny.gov starting at 10:00 AM.

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The Chenango County Sheriff’s Office arrested 38-year-old Brian Cummings for Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a motor vehicle.  Cummings is accused of driving with a suspended license for failure to answer a traffic summons from Kirkwood Court. Cummings was arraigned in the Guilford Town Court and was remanded to the Chenango County Jail on Bail.

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About 146,000 state workers this month will begin to receive their first raises since 2011. The raises were part of collective bargaining agreements, between Governor Cuomo and the state’s largest unions in 2011, when the state had a $10 billion deficit. The contracts called for no raises until the 2014-15 fiscal year, which started April 1st, and also included a no-layoff pledge. Cuomo’s budget office estimated the raises to six unions will cost the state about $189 million this fiscal year

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P.M. NEWS MONDAY 4-7-14

by wcdonews Posted on April 7, 2014

The Cortland County Sheriff’s Department announced that 47 year old Gerald Notoli of Smithville Flats was killed in a crash on Friday.  Notoli’s vehicle left state route 41 in the town of Willett and hit a tree, the investigation into the cause of the crash is continuing.

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State lawmakers wrapped up the state budget one week ago, area assemblyman Pete Lopez said that Agriculture was funded favorably in this budget:

 

(Lopez 4-7-14)

 

Lopez said that the education portion of the budget also addressed the need for additional state aid to poorer school districts.

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U.S. Senator Charles Schumer said the U.S.D.A will begin soliciting proposals on May 20th from Greek yogurt makers, who want to provide Greek yogurt to 12 states, as part of USDA’s  Greek yogurt pilot program. Schumer is urging New York Greek yogurt producers like Chobani & other  to apply for the  program, which will expand to 8 new states, from September 2014 to June 2015 and include New York, Arizona, Idaho, Tennessee, California, Iowa, Connecticut, Illinois, North Carolina, Vermont, Washington and Mississippi. USDA will select one or multiple vendors to provide Greek yogurt.

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The Chenango County Sheriff’s Office arrested Jason Wheeler of Sherburne on charges of 2nd degree Burglary and 4th degree Grand Larceny.  Wheeler was picked up at the Wyoming State Correctional Facility; he was wanted in connection with the theft of firearms from a Sherburne residence.  Wheeler arraigned in the Town of Sherburne court and remanded to the Chenango County Jail on $5,000 cash bail.

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Students entering 8th and 9th grade this fall will have the opportunity to spend two days in the world of hospital healthcare this summer when UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital hosts their annual “M.A.S.H. Camp” on Tuesday, August 5th and Wednesday, August 6th.   The 2-day camp is sponsored by UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital and the Central New York Area Health Education Center, to help encourage young people to explore health careers. Space is limited to 20 students the deadline for applying is Friday, May 2nd. Students can access the online application at cnyahec.org.

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The Chenango county sheriffs department arrested Michelle Venditti of Whitesboro for Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a motor vehicle.   Venditti was charged following an investigation for speeding in the Town of North Norwich, it was discovered that Venditti’s Driver’s License was suspended on 7 separate occasions. Venditti was arraigned & was remanded to the custody of the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office on $2,000 cash bail.

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New York’s ethics commission reports $210 million was spent on state and local lobbying last year. The Joint Commission on Public Ethics, in its 2013 annual report, says its enforcement cases resulted in more than $450,000 in penalties. The report shows a record $191 million was spent last year on compensation for in-house and retained lobbyists. Top spenders on lobbying included tobacco companies, teachers’ unions and hospital groups.

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Many of the breath mints, chocolate bars and sodas bought from vending machines won’t be subject to sales tax under New York’s new budget. Items purchased for less than $1.50 from automatic vending machines will be exempt from the tax beginning June 1st.

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A.M. NEWS MONDAY 4-7-14

by wcdonews Posted on April 7, 2014

Oneonta Police & State Police responded to a report Friday of 2 subjects fleeing from a stolen vehicle and jumping into the Susquehanna River.  Police received a report of a vehicle stolen from the municipal parking garage in Oneonta which matched the description of the vehicle that the subjects had fled from before jumping into the river.  Police arrested 22-year-old Ryan Van Allen-Cichielo of Cape Coral, Florida; and 21-year-old Eric Moore of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, they were charged with 4th degree Grand Larceny.  Both are Hartwick College students, they were arraigned in the City of Oneonta Court and remanded to the Otsego County Jail to appear at a later date.

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Bassett Medical Center has notified the State Office of Mental Health that due to severe provider shortages, they plan to discontinue inpatient psychiatric services. In the interim, the services will be maintained.  Bassett’s emergency department will still care for patients with mental health issues; plans are underway to transition crisis center services from the hospital to a mobile crisis program.  Patients currently in Bassett’s inpatient psychiatry unit will remain until they are ready for discharge. Patients needing longer-term services will be transferred to another psychiatric in Binghamton, Schenectady or Utica. Approval of the formal closure plan is expected from the state in 1 to 2 weeks.

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New York’s asthma-related Medicaid expenditures rose more than 26% in the last 5 years, as the state’s overall annual asthma bill topped $1.3 billion for medical costs and lost productivity, according to a report released Friday by State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli.  1.7 million people in New York suffer from asthma, according to estimates by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. New York’s $55 billion Medicaid program enrolls approximately one in four New York State residents, including 559,000 diagnosed with asthma, and spent $532 million on asthma care in 2013.

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P.M. NEWS FRIDAY 4-4-14

by wcdonews Posted on April 4, 2014

Community members will honor those who died in the American Civic Association shooting five years ago with a special ceremony Saturday at 1:00 PM.  Those in attendance will remember the 13 victims of the ACA shooting, at the downtown memorial on the corner of Clinton and Front streets in Binghamton. The ACA Memorial includes a central granite column with a glass shaft rising from the center that is illuminated at night.  Symbolizing the tragedy’s rippling effect in the community are 13 sculptures of illuminated birds in flight.

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The Chenango County Sheriff’s department arrested 36-year-old David Tennant of Rome for grand larceny and conspiracy.  Tennant was taken into custody by Chenango county deputies at the Oneida County Jail, to bring him into custody for an active arrest warrant out of the Town of Norwich Court, stemming from an incident in the town of Norwich at an area business.  Tennant was arraigned in the Town of Norwich Court, and remanded to the Chenango County Correctional Facility on $2,000 cash bail. 

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Thousands of New York parents refused to have their children take the statewide English assessments that were given this week.   Parents are protesting the state education policy that puts a lot of emphasis on testing & interferes with time in the classroom for actual learning. Results of the 3-day assessments don’t count toward student averages, but they do factor into teacher and school evaluations. It is estimated that more than 25,000 of the more than 1 million third- through eighth-graders in the testing pool, skipped this week’s tests.

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U.S. Senator Charles Schumer wants the Federal Trade Commission to investigate whether utilities or power producers artificially inflated upstate New York electric rates in recent months.   Rates spiked the most this winter for National Grid customers by an average of 60 to 75%, and average rates rose10 to 15% for NYSEG.  Utilities blamed raises in the wholesale cost of electricity and said they have no control over those prices.  NYSEG suggested customers struggling with rising rates sign up for their budget-billing plan.

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The state Education Department, and the inBloom student-data project, are undergoing an involuntary uncoupling. The Education Department is acknowledging that it will end controversial plans, to store identifiable student data in a Web-based cloud, created by inBloom, a nonprofit funded by the Gates Foundation. State lawmakers passed legislation that prohibits the department from giving student information to entities that collect and store data for use in a data dashboard or portal. The state is also required to make sure that student data already uploaded is deleted.

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Delaware County Sheriff Tom Mills announced that his department will be giving away bicycle helmets for their summer 2014 safety program:

 

(Sheriff Tom Mills 4-4-14)

 

Sheriff Mills said that his office has about 360 helmets to give away; he said that it is also recommended to replace old banged up helmets in order to insure the riders continued safety.

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The Binghamton Senators announced that the annual Face Off Against Cancer presented by Lourdes Hospital would take place tomorrow at the Broome County Arena at 7:05p.m.    Fans attending the game are encouraged to visit the various cancer awareness displays and meet the 2014 American Cancer Society Relay for Life teams that will be present throughout the arena concourse.  During the 1st intermission, cancer survivors will participate in a Survivor’s Lap around the ice.  Tickets are available through the Arena Box Office and www.ticketmaster.com or at 1-800-745-3000.

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THE BAINBRIDGE TOWN HALL THEATRE WILL PRESENT THE OUT OF THE WOODWORK PLAYERS PRODUCTION OF ‘THE SOUND OF MUSIC’ TONIGHT AND TOMORROW AT 8:00 PM AND SUNDAY AT 2:00 PM.  ADMISSION FOR ADULTS IS $8 AND CHILDREN $6. FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL 563-2582.

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A.M. NEWS FRIDAY 4-4-14

by wcdonews Posted on April 4, 2014

Funeral services for Johnson City Police officer David Smith will be held this morning in Johnson City.  The Funeral will start at 11:00 AM at Sarah Jane Johnson Church in Johnson City. Road closures along Main Street in Johnson City will be instituted; Representatives from Police agencies from all over will be attending.

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The Chenango county sheriff’s department arrested 26-year-old Brad Church of Edmeston for Disorderly Conduct and Resisting Arrest.  Church allegedly approached a vehicle that had been pulled over by a deputy, and obstructed traffic, and refused to comply with the deputy, and then resisted arrest.  Church was arraigned and was sent to the Chenango County Jail on $5,000 cash bail pending future court action.

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Governor Cuomo announced that the DMV will begin issuing the first State emergency management red license plates for vehicles registered to State agencies, counties, cities, towns, and villages. Vehicles that get the red plates will get immediate access during a state emergency, the plates will have a white background and a red banner with the “EM” designation appearing in the upper left hand corner. More information is available through the State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services at 518-242-5202.

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Chenango County Sheriff department arrested 25-year-old Alexander Griffin and 37-year-old Laura Griffin of Bainbridge for 1 count each Animal Cruelty and Failure to provide a dog adequate shelter. The Griffins are alleged to have left a dog tied up outside for several hours in inclement weather without adequate food, shelter, and water as required by State law.  The dog also had a fractured leg that did not receive medical attention.  Both defendants were issued appearance tickets and released; they face court action in the Town of Bainbridge Court at a later date.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Chenango County Sheriff department arrested 25-year-old Alexander Griffin and 37-year-old Laura Griffin of Bainbridge for 1 count each Animal Cruelty and Failure to provide a dog adequate shelter. The Griffins are alleged to have left a dog tied up outside for several hours in inclement weather without adequate food, shelter, and water as required by State law.  The dog also had a fractured leg that did not receive medical attention.  Both defendants were issued appearance tickets and released; they face court action in the Town of Bainbridge Court at a later date.

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